Writing as I am as a CEO, it can be a lonely place. There are expectations on us to make decisions, provide direct and communicate and do all of these in a timely way. It's unlikely that we will ever get this right.

There is also outside pressure and expectations on us by our employees, but also by our network, our customers and our prospects. Most world leaders have realised they need to have a social media presence. Now I doubt a CEO will read this and if you do, please let me know. The reason for this is that CEOs have been told by marketing agencies and PR agencies to be social. Then those very agencies do the work for them. It's easy to spot these CEOs, I have approached many of them to talk to them. But you get no response. I can only guess these accounts have been pushed down to the lowest common denominator and they think the account is to post. Rather than engage. Big pity and wasted opportunity.

So the company, and probably the CEO go through the motions, but in fact they end up looking like a joke. Also negating the benefits they must have been told they would receive, like communication with the outside world and research and development opportunities.

Come on CEOs with over 50% of the world on the internet and over 40% of the people on social media, how much longer can you ignore this?

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Lately, almost all my executive coaching clients want to work on their “executive presence.” I’m not sure why this is a hot topic lately. Maybe the popularity of TED Talks has upped the expectation to engage, entertain, and inspire our audiences, even in business meetings. Maybe our attention spans have dwindled in direct proportion to the uptick in our Twitter usage. Maybe we care more about authenticity and purpose than ever before. Maybe we are just tired of being Powerpointed to death.
Whatever the reason, the need is real. Leaders are being asked more than ever to:
Connect with their audiences viscerally and emotionally
Engage others to inspire action or change
Speak with conviction and passion
Adjust their style and approach to meet the needs of a global and diverse audience
Balance confidence and speaking up with listening and gaining buy in
Tighten up their message for executive-level consumption
Understand politics, nonverbals, and “read the room”